Muddled Mind
by letgolaughing
Summary: Ridiculously late, I know, but EC Week Day 1: David becomes the Dark One instead of Emma and Regina is the first to find him.


**This is just a oneshot for EC Week that was like eons ago by now I'm sure lol! But I couldn't get it finished in time. Clearly. But I knew yo** **u'd enjoy it all the same! So here is Dark One David ;)**

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Sprinting through the forest was exactly what she wanted to be doing that afternoon. When she had woken up that morning she had gotten dressed in some of her finest clothes and her most impractical heels she had decided that yes, today would be a good day for an unplanned trip to some random ass forest where she could run herself to death.

What a Monday.

She blamed David.

She would have been alright as the new Dark One, the newest baddie of all bads, she would have rocked the leather and scales, she would have even had her own personalized squiggly knife. Full name on there and everything. But no. No, no, no, David had to play hero and take it all for himself. Squiggly knife and all. Her name would have looked way better on it.

So she cursed his name under her breath as whatever sort of horned lord beast chased her down after she managed to piss him off. By merely existing apparently. He was huge. Easily fifteen feet tall, as ripped as Disney's Hercules, hooves on his hind legs but furry hands with his arms, his head more deer than human, and antlers more beautiful than any prized stag. He was almost like a steroid injected satyr. It was great. Exactly what she wanted to be doing today.

The beast was catching up to her too. She had been running for what seemed like forever and even with her shoes in her hand she could hear his snorting breaths right behind her. So she pushed herself faster as the fresh forest air burned her lungs and she leapt over a log in her path. A log that the beast merely crashed through shortly after she cleared it. "Shit!" She hissed as she ran harder and more adrenaline shot through her system.

The ground vibrated beneath her barefeet for the short periods they were on it and then she could feel his breaths on the back of her neck and she physically could not run any faster. But then right when she believed herself to be done for, there was a loud bellowing shriek from the beast behind her and then a loud crash and commotion behind her. She knew she shouldn't distract herself from running for her life but she did look behind her to see what had happened. The beast was no longer chasing her so she quickly skidded to a halt and crouched down a little to try and see where he went but there was no sign of him.

Not for a long few seconds spent listening to her racing heart and panting breaths and when she did see him she quickly crouched lower and watched the beast push himself up off the ground and shake the foliage off him before he looked around and then turned back to where he had come from. But even after he disappeared from sight, Regina stayed put crouched in the soil and moss with the fingertips of her free hand on the ground to balance her and waited for the slightest threat to make her run again.

"He's not coming back."

"Jesus Christ!" She yelped as she leapt away from the voice behind her and gracelessly stumbled in her attempt to get to her feet. "David!" She scolded after she turned around and he laughed as she regained her balance, "what the hell!"

"You were looking for me."

With a scoff and a roll of her eyes, Regina put her shoes down on the ground and swiped the dirt from her thighs while failing to catch her breath, "yes. I was."

"I'm fine."

Regina laughed then. Quietly and at him as she stood up tall and looked to him while her chest heaved, "no you're not. You are the Dark One, by definition that makes you not fine. You look like hell."

"What is really so bad about being the Dark One though?" He asked as he stepped closer to her and she continued to pant and for more than a moment he studied the way her sweat glistened on her chest and breasts, sliding down her temples even. "I mean we all hated Rumple because he was a manipulative ass who killed people for entertainment value. But we hated the man, not the Dark One."

"They are one in the same."

"Are they?"

"Yes."

"What about you then?"

"What about me?"

"Are you and the Evil Queen one in the same?"

"That is different."

"I don't think so."

"Well that would be the darkness making you think that way. It is a difficult thing to silence," she told him and he kept getting closer and closer.

"But why should it be silenced?"

"Because it cannot be controlled."

"Sure it can."

"No. It can give you the illusion of being controlled but you will still act on a whim no matter what you tell yourself."

"And what is wrong with acting on a whim? It is so freeing. So easy. Like that horned creature. Without this magic, without this power, the both of us would have very likely died."

"Without it we wouldn't be here in the first place," she countered and he grinned and his eyes fell to her chest once more as she sucked in a deep breath to try and steady herself. He only stopped walking toward her once he was half a stride away from him.

"That may be true. But perhaps here is better than where we were before. We can do whatever we want now. No one will stand in the way."

"I will not let you kill anyone."

"I never said I would."

"Not yet. But you will. There are voices in your head. There are urges. Your newly obtained magic is already pulling you to the dark. And quite successfully I might add. I thought it would take you longer to give in."

"I haven't given in. But this is who I am now. The only way out is for someone to kill me with the dagger and take this power upon themselves. It is mine, it is me, and I do not wish to die. What is so wrong about that?"

"There is always a way."

"Regina," he laughed softly as he reached forward and dragged a fingertip along her collar bone and shivered at the heat of her sweat dampened skin, "how does it feel to be the one handing out pep talks left, right, and centre?"

"Bitter on my tongue," she replied sharply and he laughed as he stepped just a little closer so she could feel his breath on her skin and out of reflex she placed her hands on his abdomen to prevent him from getting too much closer. But he ignored it. His finger followed the line of her collarbone as her chest heaved to fill her lungs with air and she watched his face with a slight frown. She didn't know quite know what he was after, she didn't quite know what she was dealing with, but surely the David she knew was still in there. Surely the man loyal to Snow was not about to let the darkness get too close to herself.

His touch did make her racing heart skip though. She couldn't ignore that. Or the heat building in her belly.

"You were running for quite a long time," he noted as his finger changed course and started following the neckline of her shirt. Over the swell of one breast, dipping down between them, and then up over the other. She wasn't thrilled about it by any means but she wasn't stopping him either. So he continued in fascination over how it felt to touch her.

"My magic isn't working here and I don't have a death wish," she replied and tried to hide the hitch in her breath. She would say it was a rather unsuccessful attempt judging by the way he smirked and inched closer so their bodies were nearly touching, continuing to ignore her hands pressed against his stomach.

The dark magic flowing off of him was absolutely dizzying. It was calling to her, making her mind foggy and her body pull toward him. He wasn't playing fair. The sweet siren call that simply emanated from him was almost enough to send her spiralling down over the edge she had worked so hard to get away from.

"I was surprised to see such stamina in a woman who spends her time sitting on a throne or behind a desk," he prodded and followed the line of her shirt once more over her breasts.

"I am surprised to see such lack of restraint from a man whose loving wife is scouring the universe for a way to save him," she retorted and tried so hard not to fall victim to the pull of his touch. The temptation was too much to let her step away but it wasn't enough to have her giving in. Not yet.

"I told you. I don't need saving."

"You do. You're trying to fuck me."

"That has absolutely nothing to do with dark magic," he denied as his fingers caressed her throat with a tilt of his head. He wanted so badly to taste the salt on her skin. To devour her whole and hear her scream his name. The thoughts had him closing the remaining inches between their bodies and his fingers tightening around her throat. Not enough to cause discomfort but enough to deter her from leaving. He could think of nothing else but fucking her right there in the middle of a Camelot forest.

"If it has nothing to do with the seductive nature of dark magic then why haven't you tried acting on it before?" She questioned and parts of her screamed at her to just let him do it. The dark and miserable parts of her. The parts wanting attention and revenge on Robin's disloyalty. The parts wanting their fix of dark magic. He seemed to sense that and her breath quivered with lust and heartache as his hand slid up her throat to her jaw and the other hooked it's fingers in to the waist of her trousers to pull her hips to his. His dark magic was surrounding her, pulling her, whispering her name, filling her heart, she couldn't get away. She didn't want to get away.

"It is no secret that you are a beautiful woman, Regina. What man wouldn't leap at the opportunity to be with you? Even if he were only permitted one time," he reasoned and his thumb rubbed over her bottom lip. Plump and waiting to be kissed, "we have never truly been alone before."

"Yes we have."

"Not while we were friendly with one another."

"That is not enough."

"Then perhaps it is the call of dark magic. But you are just as guilty as I am, your majesty. Your magic is just as dark and just as untamed," he reasoned deeper and her breath quivered upon its tense exhale through her nose. So he urged her closer and her hands slid from his stomach to his sides so there was no longer anything blocking the full contact of their bodies. Nothing but clothes of course.

"There is still Snow. Snow and Robin."

"Snow could never accept me the way I am now," he replied with an angry snarl because he knew it was true. She would go to the ends of the earth to find a way to change him without first stopping to perhaps try and love him the way he was. It broke his heart and it came across as fury. And then his voice softened just a little. "You could though. You understand this power. This freedom. I know you do," he told her and she swallowed as her eyes faltered and fell to his lips

"And Robin _hurt_ you," he pressed and made sure his reminder hurt her and her eyes flashed up to his. His tone was sharp and low and his words were slow and enunciated so that she heard every one of them. Her brow furrowed because of it and then her eyes fell down and away from his, "he crawled in to bed with another woman. Sure he thought it was his wife and perhaps he did call her by your name but that doesn't negate the fact that he fucked someone else not a month after leaving you. It doesn't change the fact that he kissed another woman's lips when he made you believe his were saved for only you. And now he is back. He is back and that woman is pregnant with his child. A child that will never be yours," he drove in and when her eyes looked up at them they were glossed with tears and her jaw was crossed heartache. Heartache and anger. Just like him.

"He is back and expecting the world of you and he hasn't even told you he loves you. Has he," he pressed and she remained silent. She didn't have an argument and his magic swelled with pride and excitement over making her see sense. And then he continued, "you tried to be good. You tried to do the right thing and you got hurt. I spent my whole life trying to be good and you always won out in the end making us absolutely miserable. I would like to know where the hell being good gets us when all it has ever brought us is misery and pain."

"You wouldn't ever say any of this, this is the darkness talking-"

"Is it? Or is Snow just not around to spew hope speeches?" He countered and she fell silent once more. Then he dipped his head a little lower and let his eyes focus on her lips. "I think we should indulge ourselves by spending a little time in the dark together. With someone who understands. You are a bloodthirsty woman," he breathed against her lips as he dipped his head lower and rubbed his thumb over her parted lips, "if you cannot let yourself kill the man who built a family without you, then at least let yourself level the playing field," he reasoned smoothly as he began carefully pushing her backward.

"I want you close," he told her softly and drew out the last word as her back hit a tree and he carefully pinned her there. Every movement was slow and careful for he knew she was only compliant because she hadn't thought of a good enough reason to escape. So he didn't give her a reason. Instead he rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip once more and dipped his head down the rest of the way.

Her knees buckled when he kissed her. A rush of his dark magic flooded her system at the contact and the tentativeness of their kiss lasted mere moments before Regina broke. She caved in to him, she opened her mouth to him and lifted her hands to his hair and raked her fingers through it with a deep inhale through her nose. He felt amazing to her. To kiss someone who carried the same twisted need for dark magic and lust and revenge, she had never felt anything like it. It was strong and it was easy and she was panting all over again but this time it was for far different reasons.

Instead of the claws of giant woodland beast out for her blood, it was David's heavy hands roaming her body that had her heart racing. Instead of her own body moving her through the forest, it was David's strength that hoisted her up so her thighs could snug around his hips. Instead of the beasts snorts blowing down the back of her neck urging her forward, it was David's tongue against the side of her throat as he kissed his way down her neck.

"You are divine," he growled as his fingers clawed down her ass and thighs and her throat vibrated against his mouth as she moaned. She was perfect. She was powerful, she was dark, she was hurt. Just like him. Everything felt so much more clear with all the power he held. He was no longer worried about anything, he was on a high and this beautifully flawed and twisted woman was keeping him there. He wanted more.

She gasped when his hands yanked open her shirt but the moment of shock was quick to pass when his hot mouth and rough stubble sent her spiralling down in to lust once more. Lust and dark magic. She slipped. She gave in to the familiarity of the darkness tucked away inside her and indulged in him. Indulged in someone like her for the first time in her life. Someone good but swallowed by darkness.

His magic was potent and it flowed stronger through her with every kiss he left on her skin and when he kissed her mouth she was completely overwhelmed by it. Her kisses turned frantic and desperate as she relapsed and took all of the darkness she could get her hands on. She was ready to suck him dry of it. And she was so angry with Robin.

So she clawed at this dark prince, she moaned against his mouth, she let him bite her, she let him put his hands on her body, she urged him to. It felt too good to turn him away. Her mind was too clouded and foggy with the darkness he fed her. The darkness she had deprived herself of.

She could feel the power in her, she could feel it building higher and stronger, she could feel it envelope her and she loved it. She missed it. And the dark prince was a far better kisser than she would have ever given him credit for prior to falling victim to him.

But then there was a small voice telling her to stop and it was just enough to make her hesitate and give her just a moment of clarity. But as it turned out, a moment was all she needed. With her mouth open for his kiss, Regina scratched one hand down his jaw and kept the other in his hair. And she'd be damned if she didn't think twice about what she was going to do next when his tongue moved over hers. She moaned against him and indulged in one more fervent and thorough kiss and then almost decided to let it fall through and fuck him in this godforsaken forest. But she didn't.

She purred against his kiss and once he broke for air and moved his attention back to her neck, she dipped her fingers in to the pouch in her pocket and once coated in the powder inside, she withdrew them. "David," she breathed and he moaned against her neck before he lifted his head and looked her in the eye. When he did she gave him a slow and salacious smirk that had his bright blue eyes falling to her lips and his hands slowly sliding up her sides and bunching her shirt and blazer over his wrists. Then she tightened her grip in his hair and as he tried to dive in for another kiss, she pressed her two fingers to his lips and he laughed.

And as he laughed he inhaled the powder from her fingers and she watched as realization dawned too late on his face. The poppy dust had already gotten to his head and she leaned back against the tree and let go of his hair and as his body fell to the forest floor and his grip on her disappeared, she dropped back on to her own two feet. Her balance wavered for a moment but she didn't fall and she stood with her hands lifted by her shoulders as she watched and made sure he didn't get up. She almost hadn't brought that dust.

Once she was satisfied that he wasn't waking up, Regina wiped the dust from her fingers and crouched down to roll him over on to his back. With a huff and a few murmured swears under her breath she did manage to get him where she needed to and then quickly started searching his clothing and tried her very best to clear her mind of the lust and heat that filled her mind.

And then she found it.

She pulled it out quickly and then studied it with a contented smile. The wavy blade engraved with 'David Nolan'. It was hers now and she wasn't letting it go so with a tired sigh she lowered the dagger and looked back at David asleep on his back. "You're an idiot," she told him and when he didn't respond she rolled her eyes and turned around so her lower back was against his side and one leg was stretched straight and the other bent and tucked beneath its knee. "And an ass," she bit as she looked at the dagger and heat still ached in her belly and between her legs with the arousal he had overwhelmed her with. Arousal and dark magic. "I'm not dragging you back there," she shook her head took her gaze off the dagger and back to him, "oh wake up, Dark One. It was just poppy dust."

When he still didn't answer she rolled her eyes and sighed once more as her gaze fell back to the dagger, "my name would have looked far better on it."


End file.
